Hydrology
As you set out on your journey to become a packrafting Jedi, it is important to begin by acknowledging a simple truth. The river is stronger than we are. Whilst there are times we may need to resist...
View ArticleIce to Ocean
Sweaty, bleeding and tired – but Stoked. Despite knowing where we were geographically, we felt lost in the wilderness. We were somewhere in the dense bush of New Zealand’s wild West Coast. Battling...
View ArticlePFD’s For Packrafting
I’ve fielded a lot of questions around gear and how to pack for longer packrafting trips recently and I’ve created some content on my current set up for longer trips on the Packrafting Queenstown...
View ArticlePackrafting and Drowning
In 2020 the packrafting community didn’t suffer a single fatality. Also in 2020 many countries were in lockdown, access to the outdoors was limited and taking part in activities that could necessitate...
View ArticleCold Water Shock
As part of the packrafting culture of safety promotion we have been taking a deep dive into exploring some of the leading causes of fatalities on the water. The aim with these articles is to try to...
View ArticleHypothermia
As the third and final article in the series as part of the Packrafting Culture of Safety movement, we’re examining hypothermia. If you haven’t read the previous two articles, it might be useful to go...
View ArticlePackrafting Trip Planning
One of the most important factors in determining the successful out come of any endeavour is planning. [INSERT TIRESOME QUIP ABOUT PROPER PRIOR PLANNING PREVENTS PISS POOR PERFORMANCE? YAWN]....
View ArticleFollowing the Footsteps of River Runner
We’ve been huge fans of Deane Parkers film work since his first bike rafting adventure The Waiau Toa Odyssey back in 2017. Story telling plays such a huge role in the low term growth and health of our...
View ArticleCareer Advice
Warning, this article has grown up themes and language. I recently was invited to a Networking event for a company we work with. They offer a 12 week program for young (and not so young) people looking...
View ArticleTips for Becoming a Guiding Pro
The subtle art of being a world class guide Some of you might be here reading this because you’ve just read the stream of consciousness that was my career advice blog. If that’s you, thanks for...
View ArticleHelmets for Packrafting
For years, in Packrafting meet ups around the world or pictures/vidoes you’ll see of packrafters, it was pretty common to see a menagerie of different helmets. Mountain bike helmets, climbing helmets,...
View ArticleThe Next Level with Packrafting Queenstown
There are some adventures you embark on that grab you by the scruff of the neck in a way that lets you know things will never be the same after this trip. Moments where you know, the next 24 or 48...
View ArticleOpportunistic Packrafting Overnighter
Days were getting shorter and noticeably colder. The official packrafting season had been closed for Packrafting Queenstown for a few weeks at least but a random road trip presented an opportunity for...
View ArticlePack Weight Reduction in Packrafting
The quest to lighten up the load you carry into the backcountry is seemingly never ending! At Packrafting Queenstown, we’re constantly looking for incremental improvements for our overnight set ups....
View ArticleLandsborough River Beta
The number of people lately who have gotten in touch about the Landsborough River lately has grown exponentially. The reason for this is two fold, obviously we’ve started to guide there, but the...
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